Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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2I35~16
CAN OPENER DRIVE SYSTEM
~ BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to can openers and, more
particularly, to a drive system for a can opener.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Patent 4,915,709 discloses a knife sharpener powered
by a motor of a can opener. A shaft of the knife sharpener
is parallel to a front face of the can opener and the
sharpener wheel is oriented perpendicular to the front
face. U.S. Patent 4,663,849 discloses a combination can
opener and knife sharpener. A shaded pole motor has a
shaft with a first end connected to reduction gearing of
the can moving system and an opposite second end connected
to a knife sharpener wheel. U.S. Patents 3,911,571;
3,781,989; 4,265,056; and 3,765,085 show similar combined
can openers and knife sharpeners. U.S. Patents 3,724,069;
3,787,967; 3,942,247; and 3,946,485 show various types of
power operated can openers. U.S. Patent 4,620,476 shows a
combined can opener and blender. U.S. Patents 2,789,345;
3,002,274; 3,126,627; and 3,360,853 disclose can openers
with drive shafts of motors having worm gears connected to
reduction gearing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention
a combined can opener and knife sharpener is provided
comprising a motor, a knife sharpener wheel, and a can
moving system. The motor has a drive shaft. The knife
sharpener wheel is connected to a first end of the drive
shaft. The can moving system is connected to a second end
of the drive shaft and has a drive wheel for directly
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contacting and moving a can, and a drive wheel shaft
cohnected to the drive wheel along a first axis of
rotation. The drive shaft has a worm gear section that
connects the drive shaft to the can moving system. The
drive shaft is orientated along a second axis of rotation
generally orthogonal to the first axis of rotation.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present
invention a combined can opener and knife sharpener is
provided comprising a housing having a front face, a motor,
a knife sharpener wheel, and a can moving system. The
motor is located in the housing and has a drive shaft with
first and second ends extending out of the motor in
opposite directions. The drive shaft is orientated
generally parallel to the front face of the housing and the
second end of the drive shaft has a worm gear section. The
knife sharpener wheel is connected to the first end of the
drive shaft for rotation along an axis generally parallel
to the front face of the housing. The can moving system is
connected to the second end of the drive shaft and has a
drive wheel located in front of the front face of the
housing for directly contacting and moving a can.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present
invention, in a combined can opener and knife sharpener
having a housing with a can cutting area at a front face,
a motor with a drive shaft connected to a knife sharpener
wheel and a can moving system, the improvement comprises
the drive shaft having a worm gear section connected to
reduction gearing of the can moving system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The forgoing aspects and other features of the present
invention are explained in the following description, taken
in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an appliance incorporating
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features of the present invention shown in a closed
position;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the appliance shown in Fig.
1 in an open position;
Fig. 3 is a side view of the appliance shown in Fig. 2 with
a partial cut away section;
Fig. 3A is a schematic cross sectional view of the working
unit showing connection of the motor to the knife
sharpening wheel and reduction gearing taken along line A-A
in Fig 3;
Fig. 3B is a schematic cross sectional view of the working
unit shown in Fig. 3 taken along line B-B;
Fig. 4 is a side view of the appliance shown in Fig. 1 with
partial cut away sections;
Fig. 5 is a partial perspective cut away view of a top
section of the appliance as shown in Fig. 3:
Fig. 6 is a partial perspective view of a rear portion of
the appliance as shown in Fig. 4;
Fig. 7 is a partial perspective view of an interior side of
a side wall of the mounting bracket shown in Figs. 1 and 2;
Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a side of the
working unit housing adapted to be pivotably mounted on the
pivot posts shown in Fig. 7;
Fig. 9A is a partial side view with a cut away section of
the top front of the working unit shown in Figs. 2 and 3;
Fig. 9B is a front view of the working unit shown in Fig.
9A;
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Fig. lOA is a partial side view with a cut away section of
thé front of the working unit as shown in Fig. 9A with the
lid retainer and cutting blade moved to a different
position;
Fig. lOB is a partial front view of the working unit as
shown in Fig. lOA;
Fig. 11 is a side view of the front of the working unit
with a partial cut away section when the working unit is in
its closed position as shown in Figs. 1 and 4;
Fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the mechanical
linkage between the actuating switch and the cutting blade.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown perspective
views of an electrically operated combined can opener and
knife sharpener appliance 10 at two positions; an open
position shown in Fig. 2 and a closed position shown in
Fig. 1. Although the present invention will be described
with reference to the single embodiment shown in the
drawings, it should be understood that features of the
present invention could be incorporated into many different
forms and varieties of embodiments. In addition, any
suitable size, shape or type of elements or materials could
be used.
The appliance 10 generally comprises a mounting bracket 12
and a working unit 14. The mounting bracket 12 is provided
for mounting the working unit 14 to the bottom 16 of a
kitchen cabinet 18. Suitable fasteners (not shown) such as
screws or bolts are used to fixedly attach the mounting
bracket 12 to the cabinet 18. It should be understood that
alternate embodiments could include the mounting bracket 12
being adapted to connect to a side of the cabinet, a front
of a cabinet, a top of a counter top, etc. The appliance
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10 could also be used in locations other than a domestic
kitchen, such as a commercial kitchen or other suitable
location. In the embodiment shown, the mounting bracket 12
is comprised of a molded plastic or polymer material.
However, any suitable material or combination of materials
could be used. The bracket 12 includes two side arms or
walls 20, 21 and a center section 22 that form a general
upsidedown U-shaped housing 24 with a receiving area
between the two side walls 20, 21. The walls 20, 21 are
fixedly and stationarily connected to the center section 22
to form a unitary assembly of the housing 24. In an
alternate embodiment, the housing 24 could be provided as
a single member. Referring also to Figs. 3 and 4, the
housing 24 includes a two deflectable cantilevered detents
26, 28. The detents 26, 28 are provided for stationarily
locating the working unit 14 at the first open position
shown in Fig. 2 and the second closed position shown in
Fig. 1. Referring also to Fig. 5, the first detent 26 is
located at the top of the housing 24 with a head 30. Two
stops 32 (only one of which is shown) are located in front
of and on opposite sides of the head 30. Referring also to
Fig. 6, the second detent 28 is located at the back of the
housing 24. The second detent 28 extends from the rear of
side wall 20 behind the receiving area of the housing 24.
The second detent 28 includes a head 34 and a stop 36. In
alternate embodiments other types, locations, or numbers of
detents could be provided on the housing 24. In another
type of alternate embodiment, deflectable detents could be
provided on the working unit 14 rather than the mounting
bracket housing 24. Referring also to Fig. 7, the interior
sides of the side walls 20, 21 include a pivot post 38 and
raised ribs 40 that project inward towards the receiving
area.
Referring also to Figs. 3A and 3B, the working unit 14
generally comprises a housing 42, a motor 44 having a drive
shaft 46, a can moving system 48 and a knife sharpener
wheel 50. The housing 42 is comprised of molded plastic or
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polymer members that are connected to each other. In the
embodiment shown, two of the housing pieces 42a, 42b come
together as shown in Fig. 8 with semi-circular openings
52a, 52b on both sides of the housing 42 that capture pivot
posts 38 (see Fig. 7) on the side walls~therein to form
pivotable mounts 56 (see Figs. 3 and 4). The raised ridges
40 are provided for the exterior sides 54a, 54b of the
housing pieces 42a, 42b to ride against. This allows the
rest of the housing 42 to be spaced from the rest of the
side walls 20, 21 of the mounting bracket housing 24. This
allows free motion between the two housings, but
nonetheless provides a stable pivotable connection of the
working unit 14 to the mounting bracket 12 in the receiving
area. Additional pivot plates (not shown) may be connected
to the pivot post 38 inside the working unit housing 42 to
add strength to the pivotable mounts 56.
Referring to Figs 1-4, the working unit housing 42
generally comprises a first face 58, a decorative second
face 60, and two other exterior walls or faces 62, 64. The
first face 58 and second face 60 are generally orthogonal
to each other. The third face 62 has some air vents (not
shown) for cooling air to access the motor 44. Diagonal
face 66 between the second face 60 and third face 62 is
merely provided for decorative appearances. As seen in
Figs. 3-6, the fourth face 64 includes a first projection
68 and a second projection 70. The first projection 68 is
located in the center of the fourth face 64 and is adapted
to contact and deflect first detent 26, and be held between
the head 30 of the first detent 26 and the stops 32 when
the working unit 14 is moved to its open position (see
Figs. 2, 3 and 5). The second projection 70 is located in
the corner of the fourth face 64 and is adapted to contact
and deflect second detent 28, and be held between the head
34 of the second detent 28 and the stop 36 when the working
unit 14 is moved to its closed position (see Figs. 1, 4 and
6).
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As noted above, the working unit 14 is pivotably mounted to
th~e mounting bracket 12 at the two side walls 20, 21. The
working unit is rotatable about 90 between the closed
position shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and the open position
shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In the closed position, the second
face 60 is located at the front of the appliance 10, the
first face 58 is located inside the appliance 10 beneath
the center section 22, and the second projection 70 is
retained by the second detent 28 to stationarily hold the
working unit 14 relative to the mounting bracket 12. A
user can open the appliance 10 by pushing down on the
working unit housing 42 at finger area 72. When sufficient
force is applied by the user at finger area 72, the second
detent 28 will be wedged back by the second projection 70
until the second projection disconnects from the second
detent 28. The working unit 14 is then free to rotate as
indicated by arrow A in Fig. 1 to the open position shown
in Fig. 2. As the working unit 14 nears its fully open
position, the first projection 68 contacts and deflects the
first detent 26. The first detent 26 snaps behind the
first projection 68 to capture the first projection 68
between the head 30 and the stops 32. After the user is
finished using the can opener or knife sharpener, the
working unit 14 can be rotated up as indicated by arrow B
in Fig. 2 to conceal the working area 74 at the first face
58 within the appliance 10 and once again display the
decorative second face 60 at the front of the appliance 10.
In order to rotate the working unit 14 up, a user rotates
the working unit housing 42 causing the first projection 68
to deflect the first detent 26 out of its path. As the
working unit approaches the fully closed position, the
second projection 70 contacts and deflects the head 34 of
the second detent 28. The head 34 then snaps behind the
second projection 70 to capture the second projection 70
between the head 34 and the stop 36. Thus, the working
unit 14 is once again held in a stationary position
relative to the mounting bracket 12 until intentionally
moved by a user. In alternate embodiments, alternative or
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additional means to stationarily locate the working unit
relative to the housing could be provided. Alternative or
additional means to movably mount the working unit to the
mounting bracket could also be provided.
Referring particularly to Figs. 2, 3A and 3B, the motor 44
is an electrical shaded pole motor. However, in alternate
embodiments, other types of motors could be used. The
drive shaft 46 extends out of the motor 44 in two opposite
directions. The knife sharpener wheel 50 is connected to
a first end of the drive shaft 46. The can moving system
48 is connected to an opposite second end of the drive
shaft 46. The drive shaft 46 is orientated parallel to the
first face 58 of the housing 42. The knife sharpener wheel
50 is directly connected to the drive shaft 46 to be
axially rotated when the shaft 46 is rotated. In a
preferred embodiment, the knife sharpener wheel 50 is
slightly movable along the length of the first end of the
drive shaft 46 and is biased by springs (not shown) in
collars 76 at a home position. Because the distance
between the wheel 50 and motor 44 is short, no additional
bearings to support the wheel 50 are needed. However, a
bearing could be provided at the far end 78 of the first
end if desired. The housing 42 has a shape above the
wheel 50 to form an open area 80 between the mounting
bracket 12 and the working unit 14 when the working unit 14
is in its open position as seen in Fig. 2. The housing 42
also has slots 82 to allow a blade of a knife (not shown)
to pass through the housing 42 to access the wheel 50.
Thus, a user can pass a blade of a knife through a plane of
the first face 58 into area 80, through one of the slots
82, and against the wheel 50 for sharpening.
The second end of the drive shaft 46 has a worm gear 84.
The worm gear 84 is connected to reduction gearing 86 of
the can moving system 48. The reduction gearing includes
a first gear 88 and a second gear 90. The first gear 88
has a helical gear section 92 and a first spur gear section
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94. The second gear 90 has a second spur gear section 96.
The can moving system 48 also includes a drive wheel 98
located at the exterior of the first face 58 for moving a
can (not shown). The drive wheel 98 is connected to the
reduction gearing 86 by a drive wheel shaft 100. More
specifically, the drive wheel shaft 100 is removably
connected to the center of the second gear 90 such that the
drive wheel shaft 100 and drive wheel 98 are rotated when
the second gear 90 is rotated.
In order to provide suitable torque at the drive wheel 98
for moving a can while being cut, to rotate the knife
sharpener wheel 50 at a suitable speed for sharpening, and
to package the working components such that the user can
access the sharpener wheel 50 from the front of the
appliance, the worm gear 84 is used. The worm gear 84
allows the drive shaft 46 to be located parallel to the
first face 58 with only two gears 88, 90 connecting the
drive shaft 46 to the drive wheel shaft 100. However, it
has been found that in order to provide suitable torque,
merely any type of worm gear will not suffice. The worm
gear 84 needs to have a three or four lead design. This is
unusual because three and four lead worm gears are
difficult to manufacture. The worm gear for the embodiment
shown in the drawing can be obtained from Yamada
Corporation of Tokyo, Japan. It has been discovered that
by using a three or four lead worm gear the shaped pole
motor 44 can be used to provide sufficient torque at the
drive wheel 98 and sufficient power and speed at the
sharpener wheel 50 to allow the appliance to operate
properly and, be manufactured at a reasonably low cost.
Any added costs for the difficult to manufacture worm gear
84 are more than recovered by the reduced costs of the rest
of the working components assembled as shown.
In order to energize the motor 44 a single control switch
102 (see Fig. 2) is provided at the first face 58.
Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 12, the switch 102 is
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movably mounted on the housing 42. A first end 104 of the
switch 102 is adapted to contact electrical contact 106 and
press the contact 106 against contact 108. The contacts
106, 108 are connected between the power supply (such as an
electrical outlet) ahd the motor 44. When the two contacts
106, 108 come into contact with each other, electricity can
flow through the contacts to the motor 44. When the switch
102 is moved up, the contacts 106, 108 separate from each
other and the motor 44 stops. Because the working area 74
for the can opener and the working area for the knife
sharpener are both accessible from the front of the
appliance 10 and, both are powered by the single motor 44,
no additional control switches are necessary.
A second end llo of the switch 102 is connected by linkage
members 112, 113 to a rotator 114. The rotator 114 is
rotatingly connected the housing 42. The apparatus 10
includes a movable cutter 116 connected to the housing 42
over the drive wheel 98 at the first face 58. The cutter
116 has a connection shaft 118, a cutting blade 120 and a
blocker section 122. The connection shaft 118 is connected
to rotator 114 in key hole 124 such that the connection
shaft 118 is rotated when the rotator 114 is rotated. A
locking mechanism (not shown) keeps the cutter 116
connected to the working unit 14. However, a removal
switch 126 is provided to disengage the locking mechanism.
This allows the cutter 116 to be removed from the working
unit 14 for cleaning.
Referring also to Figs. 9B and lOB, the relationship of the
movement of the control switch 102 to the movement of the
cutter 116 is illustrated. As seen in Fig. 9B, with the
control switch 102 in an up position, the cutter is in an
up position with an open area between the cutter 116 and
the drive wheel 98 for locating an edge of a can (not
shown). When the control switch 102 is moved down, as
shown in Fig. lOB, the cutter is rotated to moving the
cutting blade 120 down adjacent the drive wheel 98. In a
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11
preferred embodiment, a spring (not shown) is connected to
the rotator 114 to bias the control switch 102 and cutter
116 in up positions. The control switch 102 not only
controls the motor 44 and movement of cutter 116, but it
also controls movement of the lid retainer 128.
Referring particularly to Figs. 2, 9A, 9B, lOA, and lOB,
the lid retainer 128 generally comprises an arm 130 and a
magnet 132. The first face 58 of the housing 42 has a lid
retainer recess 134 suitably sized and shaped to entirely
contain the arm 130 therein. A first end 136 of the arm
130 is pivotably connected to the housing 42 in the bottom
of the recess 134. An opposite second end 138 of the arm
130 has the magnet 132 connected thereto by a pin 140 and
a spring 142. As noted in Figs. 9A and 9B, with the
control switch 102 in its up position, the lid retainer is
held in a retracted position by the blocker section 122 of
the cutter 116. When the control switch 102 is moved
towards its actuated position shown in Figs. lOA and lOB,
the blocker section 122 is rotated down. As the blocker
section 122 is rotated down, it moves out of the path of
the arm 130. Because of the unique shape of the arm 130
and its weight distribution with the magnet 132 on the
housing 42, as the blocker section 122 is moved out of the
forward path of the lid retainer 128, the lid retainer 128
is gravity fed from its retracted position (shown in Figs.
9A and 9B) to its extended position (shown in Figs. loA and
lOB). When the control switch 102 is moved back to its up
position, the blocker section 122 up from its non-blocking
position back towards its blocking position. As the
blocker section 122 moves up, it pushes on the arm 130.
This causes the arm 130 to rotate at end 136, causing the
arm 130 to move from its extended position back to its
retracted position inside the recess 134. Thus, as the
cutter 116 is moved between its cutting and non-cutting
positions, the blocker section 122 is moved into and out of
the path of the lid retainer 128. When the blocker section
122 is in its blocking position, the lid retainer 128 is
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12
substantially contained in the recess 134 in its retracted
position. When the blocker section 122 is in its non-
blocking position, the lid retainer 128 is able to extend
to its extended position. Hence, the movement of the
control switch 102 also is able to automatically move the
lid retainer 128 by means of the cutter 116.
Referring also to Figs. 4 and 11, because the control
switch 102 and cutter 116 are normally biased in the
position shown in Figs. 3, 9A and 9B when the working unit
14 is in its open position, when the working unit 14 is
rotated upward by a user, the lid retainer 128 is able to
pass beneath the front ledge 144 at the center section of
the mounting bracket 12. As shown in Fig. 11, the lid
retainer 128 is able to be substantially entirely recessed
in the recess 134 as the working unit 14 is moved to its
closed position. Because the lid retainer 128 is recessed
in order to pass under the ledge 144, the apparatus 10 is
able to have a smaller size than would otherwise be allowed
if the lid retainer 128 was not recessed. It should be
understood, however, that in alternate embodiments
alternative means could be used to movably mount the lid
retainer on the working unit, or to control movement of the
lid retainer, or to recess the lid retainer. In addition,
alternative means could be provided to move the cutter 116,
or an alternative type of blocking system could be
provided.
It should be understood that the foregoing description is
only illustrative of the invention. Various alternatives
and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the
art without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the
present invention is intended to embrace all such
alternatives, modifications and variances which fall within
the scope of the appended claims.
